Drawing
Not on view
The Kairak Baining peoples live in the central mountains of the Gazelle peninsula, East New Britain, PNG. This original drawing is by Kairak Baining artist Juris Panuel. It is a dynamic drawing on paper that features a range of complex iconography executed in black and red pigment on a natural background in a reverse painting style. The drawing illustrates iconography that relates to important clan designs used on various art forms including the lengths of barkcloth that are incorporated into composite helmet masks and/or side panels for composite helmet masks and used in day and night time ritual masking ceremonies. It complements a suite of important Baining masks, currently on display in our principal Oceania gallery, and works in other media that are part of this comprehensive gift from George and Sarah Corbin. George Corbin carried out extensive fieldwork in East New Britain, PNG in 1972–3 and 1982–3.
